VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Monday, October 13, 2025

Head-to-head

Trading Economics vs U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) comparison

Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.

Quick takeaways

Trading Economics adds News, Alerts, Central Bank Watcher, PMI / ISM, Housing & Construction, Retail Sales, Consumer Sentiment, GDP, Interest Rates, Yield Curves, Credit Ratings & Outlooks, and Real Yields coverage that U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) skips.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) includes Education categories that Trading Economics omits.

Trading Economics highlights: REST and WebSocket API delivering data in JSON, CSV, or XML formats., Coverage spans six API domains: Indicators, Calendar, Forecasts, Markets, Earnings, and News., and Economic calendar with ~1,600 monthly events across 150+ countries, refreshed in near real time..

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is known for: Public Data API v2: JSON and Excel (.xlsx) output; single or batched series; optional calculations, annual averages, aspects & catalog metadata for registered users., Usage limits (v2): up to 50 series per query, up to 20 years per query, ~50 requests per 10 seconds; daily cap 500 queries (registered) or 25 (unregistered)., and Data Tools: Series Report (direct series ID lookup), Top Picks, One‑screen/Multi‑screen table builders, Data Finder, charts for news releases, CPI Inflation Calculator..

Trading Economics logo

Trading Economics

tradingeconomics.com

Hands-on review

Trading Economics provides economic indicators, financial market data, forecasts, and news for over 150 countries. Its web and mobile Analytics plans bundle site features, alerts, and research dashboards, while API access is offered separately with usage-based pricing. Streaming feeds for calendars, markets, and earnings require API credentials. Plans range from free website access to professional subscriptions for institutional workflows.

Platforms

Web
Mobile
API

Pricing

Free
Subscription

Quick highlights

  • REST and WebSocket API delivering data in JSON, CSV, or XML formats.
  • Coverage spans six API domains: Indicators, Calendar, Forecasts, Markets, Earnings, and News.
  • Economic calendar with ~1,600 monthly events across 150+ countries, refreshed in near real time.
  • Streaming support for calendar releases and earnings data via persistent WebSocket channels.
  • Market data includes real-time/delayed quotes for FX, commodities, stock indexes, and bonds, plus downloadable historical series.

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U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) logo

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

bls.gov

Primary U.S. source for official labor‑market, inflation and productivity statistics. Offers a free Public Data API (v2) with JSON/XLSX responses, extensive web data tools (Series Report, Top Picks, Data Finder), and an official release calendar with RSS/iCal. Coverage spans CPI/PPI/Import‑Export prices, Employment Situation (payrolls & unemployment rate), JOLTS, ECI, productivity, QCEW and more. Registered API users get higher limits and can request calculations and catalog metadata.

Platforms

Web
API
Mobile

Pricing

Free

Quick highlights

  • Public Data API v2: JSON and Excel (.xlsx) output; single or batched series; optional calculations, annual averages, aspects & catalog metadata for registered users.
  • Usage limits (v2): up to 50 series per query, up to 20 years per query, ~50 requests per 10 seconds; daily cap 500 queries (registered) or 25 (unregistered).
  • Data Tools: Series Report (direct series ID lookup), Top Picks, One‑screen/Multi‑screen table builders, Data Finder, charts for news releases, CPI Inflation Calculator.
  • Official release schedules & feeds: per‑release pages (e.g., Employment Situation) show dates/times (typically 8:30 a.m. ET); global calendar with RSS and iCal (ICS) subscription.
  • Mobile: “BLS Local Data” app for iOS/Android surfaces local labor market stats (states, metros, counties) and includes QCEW content.

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Overlap

Shared focus areas

4 overlaps

Mutual strengths include Data APIs, Calendar, and Inflation Rates plus 1 more area.

Where they differ

Trading Economics

Distinct strengths include:

  • REST and WebSocket API delivering data in JSON, CSV, or XML formats.
  • Coverage spans six API domains: Indicators, Calendar, Forecasts, Markets, Earnings, and News.
  • Economic calendar with ~1,600 monthly events across 150+ countries, refreshed in near real time.
  • Streaming support for calendar releases and earnings data via persistent WebSocket channels.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

Distinct strengths include:

  • Public Data API v2: JSON and Excel (.xlsx) output; single or batched series; optional calculations, annual averages, aspects & catalog metadata for registered users.
  • Usage limits (v2): up to 50 series per query, up to 20 years per query, ~50 requests per 10 seconds; daily cap 500 queries (registered) or 25 (unregistered).
  • Data Tools: Series Report (direct series ID lookup), Top Picks, One‑screen/Multi‑screen table builders, Data Finder, charts for news releases, CPI Inflation Calculator.
  • Official release schedules & feeds: per‑release pages (e.g., Employment Situation) show dates/times (typically 8:30 a.m. ET); global calendar with RSS and iCal (ICS) subscription.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

AttributeTrading EconomicsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
Categories

Which research workflows each platform targets

Shared: Data APIs, Calendar, Inflation Rates, Unemployment Rates

Unique: News, Alerts, Central Bank Watcher, PMI / ISM, Housing & Construction, Retail Sales, Consumer Sentiment, GDP, Interest Rates, Yield Curves, Credit Ratings & Outlooks, Real Yields

Shared: Data APIs, Calendar, Inflation Rates, Unemployment Rates

Unique: Education

Asset types

Supported asset classes and universes

Commodities, Currencies, Bonds, Stocks, Cryptos

Other

Experience levels

Who each product is built for

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Platforms

Where you can access the product

Web, Mobile, API

Web, API, Mobile

Pricing

High-level pricing models

Free, Subscription

Free

Key features

Core capabilities called out by each vendor

Unique

  • REST and WebSocket API delivering data in JSON, CSV, or XML formats.
  • Coverage spans six API domains: Indicators, Calendar, Forecasts, Markets, Earnings, and News.
  • Economic calendar with ~1,600 monthly events across 150+ countries, refreshed in near real time.
  • Streaming support for calendar releases and earnings data via persistent WebSocket channels.
  • Market data includes real-time/delayed quotes for FX, commodities, stock indexes, and bonds, plus downloadable historical series.
  • Global company financials and earnings fundamentals dataset.

Unique

  • Public Data API v2: JSON and Excel (.xlsx) output; single or batched series; optional calculations, annual averages, aspects & catalog metadata for registered users.
  • Usage limits (v2): up to 50 series per query, up to 20 years per query, ~50 requests per 10 seconds; daily cap 500 queries (registered) or 25 (unregistered).
  • Data Tools: Series Report (direct series ID lookup), Top Picks, One‑screen/Multi‑screen table builders, Data Finder, charts for news releases, CPI Inflation Calculator.
  • Official release schedules & feeds: per‑release pages (e.g., Employment Situation) show dates/times (typically 8:30 a.m. ET); global calendar with RSS and iCal (ICS) subscription.
  • Mobile: “BLS Local Data” app for iOS/Android surfaces local labor market stats (states, metros, counties) and includes QCEW content.
  • Mission/authority & confidentiality: Principal U.S. fact‑finding agency for labor economics; data collected and protected under CIPSEA and other federal laws.
Tested

Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat

Yes

Not yet

Editor pick

Featured inside curated shortlists

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which workflows do Trading Economics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) both support?

Both platforms cover Data APIs, Calendar, Inflation Rates, and Unemployment Rates workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.

Do Trading Economics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) require subscriptions?

Both Trading Economics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.

How can you access Trading Economics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)?

Both Trading Economics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) support web and mobile access, making it easy to keep tabs on research away from the desk.

What unique strengths set the two platforms apart?

Trading Economics differentiates itself with REST and WebSocket API delivering data in JSON, CSV, or XML formats., Coverage spans six API domains: Indicators, Calendar, Forecasts, Markets, Earnings, and News., and Economic calendar with ~1,600 monthly events across 150+ countries, refreshed in near real time., whereas U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) stands out for Public Data API v2: JSON and Excel (.xlsx) output; single or batched series; optional calculations, annual averages, aspects & catalog metadata for registered users., Usage limits (v2): up to 50 series per query, up to 20 years per query, ~50 requests per 10 seconds; daily cap 500 queries (registered) or 25 (unregistered)., and Data Tools: Series Report (direct series ID lookup), Top Picks, One‑screen/Multi‑screen table builders, Data Finder, charts for news releases, CPI Inflation Calculator..

Curation & Accuracy

This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).

Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.